Berlin court to allow far-right group to display caricatures of Prophet Muhammad

Thursday 16 August 2012 14:29 BST

Click to followThe Independent Online

A Berlin court has rejected an emergency appeal by three mosques to prohibit a far-right group from displaying caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad at a demonstration this weekend.

The Berlin administrative court ruled the caricatures were protected by laws allowing artistic free expression and their display alone did not violate laws against slander nor those against inciting hate or violence.

Three mosques had filed the appeal after the far-right "Citizens Movement — Pro Germany" had said it would display the caricatures during its Aug. 18 demonstration in the capital, being held under the slogan "Islam does not belong in Germany — stop Islamization."

The 2005 publication of 12 caricatures in a Danish newspaper triggered riots in many Muslim countries. Islamic law generally opposes any depiction of the prophet.